You may have seen @DavidGinolaCeze RT a plea yesterday to donate to fleet-trust.co.uk/donatenow.

php For those not already aware of the important relationship with Northfleet FC (Latterly merged with Gravesend and now called Ebbsfleet Utd) heres a brief history lesson. Ebbsfleet United have had a relationship with Spurs dating back to the early 1920s when nursery clubs were all the rage. From the summer of 1923 up to half-a-dozen youngsters were placed at Northfleet, the first intake including Harry Skitt and Bill Lane. The transition to full nursery status did not take place until the summer of 1931. It is from this point that Spurs installed Jimmy Anderson as trainer, from when the two clubs effectively shared staff, and also when the Spurs handbook officially acknowledges the existence of the relationship. A total of 37 players appeared in the Football League for Spurs after developing at Northfleet, nine of whom went on to gain full international honours. Northfleet won the Kent League on five occasions between 1931 and 1939, the Kent League Cup four times and the Kent Senior Cup once. The outbreak of war in September 1939 effectively brought an end to the nursery club arrangements and with the development of a more formal national structure for youth football from the late 1940s, most senior clubs began to run additional teams and the relationship ended. Some of the names embedded in Spurs history who started out at Northfleet include Les BENNETT, Ron BURGESS, Ted DITCHBURN and many others including a couple of gentlemen who may have a claim to making Spurs what they are now, namely Arthur ROWE and a certain Bill NICHOLSON. As of today the club is in dire straits being threatened with a winding up order due to relegation from the Blue Square Premier and a fan ownership scheme called MyFC going horribly wrong. A proposed takeover is looking hopeful if the club can raise a few thousand pounds to keep HMRC at bay for another month or so. Can you spread the word as it would be a crying shame if this part of Spurs history went down the drain. Maybe Ebbsfleet could become every committed Spurs fans second team and although they currently play in red the proposed new owner seems open to changing the name back or anything that may keep the club alive. How can we help? In the short term any donations to the fleet trust link above will help but if the club can get through this and be in a position to start next season then there are 3 options really -

1) 2)

For the financially challenged. Join the fleet trust for 10 a year. 5000 sign ups would raise the 50,000 currently needed in one fell swoop. (www.fleet-trust.co.uk) For the more comfortably well off. Join the fleet trust as a gold member with a paypal 10 a month subscription. This will entitle the member to a once a year pilgrimage to Stonebridge Road where although they will still have to pay to get through the turnstiles the member will get a seat in the directors box, meet the players and manager (The wonderful Liam DAISH of ex Coventry fame!) and access to the VIP area of the club

house (Basically the other side of a screen where you get served a pint without having to queue with the riff raff. (www.fleet-trust.co.uk) 3) For everyone. Just go along to Stonebridge Road and join in with the fans rendition of WHEN THE FLEET GO SAILING IN!when Spurs are not playing. 15 to get in, 3 for kids. 50/50 raffle where you can win half the takings, good clubhouse and bar, 10 minute walk from Ebbsfleet International station which is a 10 minute journey from Stratford or 17 minutes from St Pancreas. (www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk)

Alternatively, if anyone knows Joe LEWIS or Daniel LEVY, tell them to get their finger out, buy or financially support the club and protect this part of our history by running it again as a nursery club like Manchester City do with Hyde FC. If you want to know more of the history then check out www.soccerhistory.co.uk/arsenaltottenhamnursery.pdf or read the Ebbsfleet United book by Paul Harrison that details the full history of the links between the clubs. See www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk for latest news of the plight!

Many thanks and COYS!